St Vincent Puts Lupo’s In A Trance

Photo Credit: Kendra Whitcomb

On March 8, at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, there was something incredible going on. Annie Clark, better known under the moniker St. Vincent, made her presence felt by bringing the noise and leaving everyone in awe. Jenny Hval opened the show with a memorable performance. It was the perfect way to close out the weekend with authority.

With a lot of reverb and a trip-hop synth sound, Jenny Hval came on stage to open things up and got all sorts of weird. You had these solid beats setting a groovy tone, but her abstract style had the audience captivated. On stage was a screen that had images like a girl looking as if she was nearly kissing a coil, and there were performance artists — two ladies acting like they were put under a spell while Hval was performing. At one point there was even a dangling banana. It was unique to say the least, but the music was actually pretty rad and Hval has a beautiful voice that serves as an anchor for her craft.

With the curtains closed and a robotic voice introducing the show, Clark and the rest of St. Vincent started it off with a noise pop number, “Bring Me Your Loves,” that had me hooked from the start. I was impressed by how much funk and groove they have. While performing “Cruel,” St. Vincent put on an amazing light show while getting crushingly electronic and groovy as hell. I’ll confess, it got me bobbing my head and shaking my hips a bit. After talking about the things everyone has in common and never giving up, Clark and crew kicked in “Chloe In The Afternoon” and my mind was obliterated. So much distortion to go with that clean sheen of pop really made it for me. Getting the crowd revved up for some bumpin’ synth with “Rattlesnake,” I thoroughly enjoyed the badass beats that turned Lupo’s into a cool dance party. Clark talked about her philosophy of retribution and more about what we have in common and then boom, the beat hit and “Huey Newton” took things over with vigor. Emphatic beyond compare, it was loud and intense, and everyone was loving it. Standing on a platform in epic fashion, Clark lead the rest of the band in “Cheerleader” and took everybody to church by getting grungy and noisy in the best way possible. My favorite song of the night had to be “Birth In Reverse,” a very jumpy vibe that was a fitting end to the initial performance. The crowd wanted more, yelling like a bunch of savages craving for another dose. Clark came up solo and stood on that platform for “Strange Mercy” and then introduced her bandmates Daniel Mintseris, Toko Yasuda & Matthew Lee Johnson. Together, they ripped “Your Lips Are Red” to smithereens. Raw, unapologetic noise consumed everyone and it captivated the whole room. Clark was crowd surfing, and pandemonium infected everyone at Lupos when she stood on top of a bouncer and threw a white shawl into the crowd. This was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of shows in my time. Word on the street is that a lot of people who were at Lupo’s that night feel the same way. St. Vincent will be coming back to the New England area sooner than you think. Clark and her gang of talented musicians will perform at the Boston Calling Music Festival at Boston’s City Hall in May. If it’s going to be as good as they were at Lupo’s, then it’s something you won’t want to miss.

For more info: ilovestvincent.com

Album Of The Week: Newish Star’s How Soon We Forget

With ripping guitars and fast rhythms mixed with a melancholy vibe, Buffalo’s Newish Star have that classic punk sound mixed with a pop sensibility that keeps them walking the fine line between being a blast from the past and the best new kickass band you’ve ever heard of. They have a new album out, How Soon We Forget, that is a huge force to be reckoned with. If you’re looking for a band that’ll flat out impress you and have you wanting more, look no further than Newish Star and their new album.

In classic punk fashion mirroring the early styles of The Ramones and The Clash, How Soon We Forget doesn’t have a track that goes beyond the 3-minute mark. For anyone who has ADD, this album is definitely what you’ve been looking for. Full of fury and energy while keeping things genuinely real, Newish Star has an honest side to their songwriting that doesn’t sugarcoat anything. With unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll that hits your senses like a freight train, this band has a no-frills approach to their music that makes listening to them extremely enjoyable.

Finally February is over! I don’t know about you, but February 2015 really sucked for nearly everyone in New England. A great example of things that don’t suck are my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week. Think of them as a dose of anti-February.

With a weird intro that has a girl expressing her individuality, “Casino Run” shreds with blistering guitars and feverish drums that make for the ultimate headbanger. Another shredder is “Salt Water Tank,” a guaranteed mosh pit starter. Concluding the album in a heart-on-sleeve fashion, “Feeling Good” keeps it short and simple while blazing through a riff fest that is amazingly electrifying.

Newish Star will be part of what should be a pretty insane show with The Atom Age, Richie Ramone & The Queers at Mohawk Place in Buffalo on April 1. Until they come to Providence, grab a copy of How Soon We Forget from Newish Star. They’ll be your new favorite band.

Newish Star: newishstar.bandcamp.com

Motif Interviews Sage Francis

An enigmatic force and a local legend around Providence, Sage Francis has everyone’s ear when he has a microphone in his hand. He’ll be performing at The Met in Pawtucket on Fri, March 13 with New Haven, Conn-based musician Ceschi Ramos, Brooklyn hip-hop duo Metermaids and fellow Providence artist Storm Davis. In advance of the show, Sage and I had a chat about the success of his latest release, Copper Gone, obtaining Elmo costumes, the future of independent music and everything else.

Rob Duguay: Last June you released your fifth studio album, Copper Gone, and it has become your biggest release yet. How do you handle your success as an artist? Do you embrace it or do you ignore it and focus on the next project?

Sage Francis: I’m certainly happy with the acclaim I get after all the hard work, but it’s not something that I put much stock into. Success is such a dangerous word. It always makes me uneasy to see people equate my relative success with happiness. It’s all come with so much struggle and stress. When someone says, “At least you’re doing what you love,” it really makes me take a step back and wonder if they’d even know who I was if I actually did what I loved. I’ve been able to accomplish more than anyone could have predicted, and I’ll do my best to keep things moving — that’s all I can say. Once I feel like I’m standing on a mountain top and once I’m content enough to die there or come back down, I’ll be in a much better position to answer this kind of question.

RD: Last month you and Ceschi Ramos put out a music video for the track “Barely Alive.” How did you and Ceschi meet and where can we get our own Elmo costumes?

SF: Ceschi and I first met at a hardcore punk show in 1996. I don’t remember this, but he’s one of the very few people who purchased my first demo tape. I don’t think he started releasing any official albums until the mid-2000s but I took notice. Not just because he’s fairly local, but he’s clearly got a special talent. A few years later we started working together on various levels. I think he was the last person we had perform in the Strange Famous Records basement, back when we used to do shows at our office space. Anyway, the Elmo costumes are rentable at any bootleg costume shop. I don’t know, Ceschi was the one who hooked them up for our video. I just had to make sure my wig game was on point. No worries there, always is.

RD: What is the most difficult thing about running Strange Famous, and what do you love most about it?

SF: The most difficult thing is figuring out ways to make as much impact as possible with so few resources. I like keeping our label small and compact, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to reach as many people as possible. The odds placed against independent labels seemed to have increased exponentially since 2006. The hustle never ends, and I guess the exhaustion is the worst part. The best part is working with a team of people with a unified goal, it’s nice to be a part of something like that. It’s probably more important to me than I’ve fully acknowledged for the better part of a decade because I’ve been so immersed in it, distracted by how busy we’ve been. We’ve developed a loyal fan base and we’ve developed a killer roster with a small, dedicated staff who all go hard for Strange Famous and that’s all with minimal media attention. A lot of indie labels have folded or sold out in various ways while we continued to weather the storm. That might be what I am most proud of, out of anything I’ve been involved with in my career.

RD: What is the main difference between poetry and rapping?

SF: There’s no main difference between poetry and rapping, but I feel the best “poetry” doesn’t rhyme. I also feel that the best rap doesn’t need to be poetic, though I prefer when it is.

RD: What do you think the future holds with the battle between independent and mainstream in the world of hip-hop?

SF: The battle has nothing to do with hip-hop. It’s a shared battle between conglomerate control of all common channels and indie entities fighting over the scraps. We’re all going to rip each other’s faces off and some lucky blogger will capture it on video. When the video goes viral, the money made off of ad revenue probably will go directly into supporting the fine arts.

Purchase tickets to the March 13 show here: etix.com/ticket/online/performanceSearch.jsp?- performance_id=7913257 Album Of The Week: Torche’s Restarter

There’s lots happening in Florida. But it’s usually a naked homeless guy running through the streets and biting a lady’s ear off, a woman getting into a car accident because she was shaving her privates while driving, or a backwoods hick throwing miscellaneous objects at cars driving by while he’s sitting on his porch. There’s also a band that calls The Sunshine State home, and they have an amazingly powerful sound. Miami sludge metalheads Torche have a new album out, Restarter, and it could be their most seismic release yet with thunderous beats and rhythms abundant throughout the album.

With a pop aesthetic mixed with raw, crushing metal tones, Restarter takes Torche’s sound to new heights and will put listeners in full headbanging mode from start to finish. The bass from Jonathan Nunez latches out and grabs you, becoming the main weapon for a juggernaut of a band to destroy anything in their path. The vigorous structure with each song on Restarter guarantees that you won’t be able to put the album down.

It’s that time again where I give you a few suggestions while you undergo a certain listening experience. In order words, dive into my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

What really gets me while listening to “Loose Men” are the drumming skills of Rick Smith. On this track he takes things to another level with a flurry of raucous beats. Kicking it off with that trademark distorted bass from Nunez, “Undone” is absolutely electrifying with driving rhythms and skull-crushing tones. Another scorcher is “Blasted,” which has an epic amount of force and vigor that hits you like a ton of bricks in glorious fashion.

On March 25, Torche will rip apart Great Scott in Allston, Mass., with Doomriders and Wrong for what should be a time that no one who loves their music loud should miss. Torche are a must-see live band, and they are definitely worth the price of admission. While you’re at the show, grab a copy of Restarter. It’s sludge, spice and everything nice. The Gaslight Anthem Rock Lupo’s To Smithereens

Photo credit: Sierra Sant’Anna

It’s not every day you get to see a bunch of punks from New Jersey come to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel and rock the joint, but The Gaslight Anthem did that on Fri, Feb 27. They were joined on tour with fellow New Jersians The Scandals & Canadians Northcote to create a high-octane experience audiences wouldn’t soon forget. A packed house was kicking the weekend off right with a bunch of rock ‘n’ roll, and everyone was excited to see what would ensue.

The Scandals have some local ties. Bassist Sean Patrick Carney is a Providence native, so you could have called this show his coming home party. Reminiscent of Hot Water Music & The Bouncing Souls, The Scandals exhibited a riff-heavy sound that set the night right. A blistering set included the songs “Losing Teeth”, “Lucky 7’s” and “Sold On Merit.”

Northcote came up next, and they had an interesting mix of pop punk and alternative rock. They tried getting the crowd into it from the get-go, but you couldn’t really feel the energy flowing throughout the room despite their efforts. Northcote was okay, but they just seemed too generic for me to really enjoy them. I appreciated frontman Matt Goud’s heart-on-his-sleeve attitude throughout their set. Other than that, musically Northcote just seemed average when compared to everything else that was going on that night. A portion of the set had Goud performing a couple ballads solo on acoustic guitar, which I actually liked. “Stronger Than You Know” had a lot of pep to it and I enjoyed the driving guitars. “Walking Home In The Rain” was a weird way for Northcote to end their performance, and most of what I heard was the same guitar chord over and over again.

I was looking forward to what The Gaslight Anthem had in store. Lupo’s started filling up and people were getting revved up to see them take the stage. Lead by Brian Fallon who just woke up from a nap, they exploded into “The ’59 Sound” that put the entire audience into a state of pandemonium. With a lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ along with a few crowd surfers, “Handwritten” was simply electrifying and brought emotions up to a high. After a spiel from Fallon about his opinions on the one and only Neil Young and how much he can’t stand Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Freebird,” The Gaslight Anthem roared with “High Lonesome” and then got all lovesick with “Even Cowgirls Get The Blues” that had people going absolutely insane. “1,000 Years” continued a night of hyped energy around the entire performance with the crowd chanting the chorus of “Hey yay yay yay” like a bunch of crazed followers to a messiah. One of my personal favorites, “45,” kicked in and everyone in the building was singing in unison. Then they went right into “Howl” with blistering riffs and triumphant vocals. With a twangy, stripped-down version of “Great Expectations” followed by the rager “Meet Me By The Rivers Edge,” The Gaslight Anthem’s set was about to conclude, so I was interested to see how they were going to finish off a near two-hour performance. Highlighted by the classics “Wooderson” and “Film Noir” and hitting the audience one last time with “The Backseat,” these rockers from New Jersey definitely gave fans their money’s worth with a raucous vibe and vigorous energy.

If you’re in the area you can check out The Gaslight Anthem, Northcote, and The Scandals at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, NC. While you’re at it, grab a copy of The Gaslight Anthem’s newest release, Get Hurt, at the friendly merch table at the venue. If it’s as fun as it was at Lupo’s, then you’d better not miss out.

Interview with The Blue Man Group’s Mike Brown

Photo Credit: Caroline Talbot

For over 20 years, the world has been amazed by a bunch of guys covered in blue paint and wearing black sweatsuits who like to make a lot of noise while putting on a one-of-a-kind performance art experience. You might have heard of them. They’re known as The Blue Man Group and they’ll be taking over the Providence Performing Arts Center March 6 – 8. I got a chance to have a chat with Blue Man Mike Brown, who’s been with the performance art collective for over a decade, about how he got his start in The Blue Man Group, how long it takes for the paint to dry, what the future holds for performance art, and all sorts of stuff.

Rob Duguay: How did you become a member of The Blue Man Group?

Mike Brown: I went to school for theater and I’m also a drummer, so those two things were really something that I wanted to be a part of. Having seen The Blue Man Group in ’97, I completely fell in love with it and it became a dream of mine. I ended up working for The Blue Man Group as a crew member in 2002 at their New York show while doing backstage work, and after 6 months of doing that, they had an open call audition. I auditioned and luckily things worked out.

RD: You’ve performed as a Blue Man all over the globe, with stops in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, Berlin and even on a Norwegian Cruise Line. What has been your craziest experience as a Blue Man?

MB: Well, like you said, I’ve done this show all over. I’ve performed at The TD Garden during halftime at a Boston Celtics game, which was really awesome. On this tour I get an opportunity to travel all over North America while seeing awesome places and meeting awesome people. It’s really hard to pick one crazy moment, but it all just kind of flows together. I think all of the greatest experiences come out during the show; it’s so lively and so fun that I can’t get enough of it. I want to do it more and more. I want to do it always. [I enjoy] just being able to get up there and perform for the audiences but also the audience participation really is what I’m getting at. You can’t plan for those moments, and bringing someone up on stage and sharing a real experience with them is really beautiful and really awesome.

RD: How long does it take for you to take all of that paint off after a performance? Do you have to get special scrubbing devices to get all of the paint off?

MB: We do have a lot of special stuff. The paint that we use is actually a special Blue Man paint made by a makeup company and it’s a special blue color that’s made just for us. The application process is very simple and it doesn’t really take that long, but the transformation process, like the mind set for becoming a Blue Man, can take one minute or it can take an hour. What you’re doing is that you’re stepping into work, kind of like stepping out of yourself and leaving what your normal day was and taking that off. [You’re] taking off the layers of who you normally are and putting on this layer of who you’re going to be for the next hour and 45 minutes. The Blue Man doesn’t really have any walls around him. He’s so curious and interested in everything around him that he’s just gonna dive right in. To get your mind into a place where you’re going to be in the moment is really part of the transformation process, and it takes some time. You just have to be ready, willing and able to go with the flow with everything in the show.

RD: It’s pretty much being on you’re A game at all times when you’re putting on the paint.

MB: Exactly. But it’s being something else other than what you naturally should be. It’s instinctual. Saying “A game” makes it sound like that you’ve trained for this. Yes, we do train to be a Blue Man, but you train to kind of just strip it all down and become an instinctual being that doesn’t have an ego and is willing just go out there and have fun for the sake of having fun.

RD: What do you think the future holds for performance art? Are there any changes on the horizon when it comes to how it’s promoted or the way that it’ll be shown on stage? Do you think that it’ll stay the same for a while?

MB: From sort of being on the forefront of this kind of performance, I think that it’s going to develop and grow into all kinds of unimaginable things. The cool thing about The Blue Man Group is getting out there and doing the show. We’re trying to tell people, “Hey, this kind of thing, this is what you could do every day. This could be your job, this could be your life.” We’re just trying to hopefully have everybody leave the show feeling that kind of spirit and feeling that kind of energy and motivation to perhaps create the next big thing or the next new kind of thing — a new kind of show or technology or even just art, whether that would be a painting or a drawing. We just hope that people feel invigorated from our show. So to answer your question, I have high hopes for the future of this kind of theater. RD: For people who haven’t had the experience of seeing The Blue Man Group perform live, what would be the best way for you to describe it?

MB: As simple as it may sound, it’s just pure fun. It’s the kind of fun that we’ve all experienced when we were kids, when we would just run out into our yard and our imaginations would just take us over and we were just ready and willing to do whatever we wanted to do to have the fun that we wanted to have in that moment. The Blue Man Group is trying to get every audience member to tap into in their own hearts and their own minds and the feeling of, “Oh man!! I wanna do this right now just because it’s fun.” Whether that would be laughing at something, thinking about the show or actually getting out of your seat and dancing, it’s an energy level that we want to promote inside everyone. It’s just unbridled, instinctual fun that we want everyone to be infused with and invigorated by.

The Blue Man Group will be at the Providence Performing Arts Center this weekend from Fri, March 6 until Sun, March 8. For tickets: ppacri.org/events/detail/blue-man-group-1

Interview with The Sweet Release

There is an act from up I-95 in North Attleboro, Mass., that has straight up astounded people in the Providence music scene for the last year and a half or so. The Sweet Release is a mix of hardcore punk, garage rock and a little bit of blues accented by a charisma and flair that mirrors the styles of vintage Iggy Pop and Mick Jagger. This all equates to a high energy experience. On March 1 they’ll release a new single titled “Whether Or Not,” and recently I had a chat with crazy frontman Austin Sheridan, bassist Jimmy James and rhythm guitarist Mike Marchand about all sorts of things.

Rob Duguay: The Sweet Release really loves to get in people’s faces on stage with a electrifying mix of two kinds of punk rock and a touch of blues. You have that old school style punk sound in the vein of The Stooges, but when Austin gets on the mic he brings a hardcore vibe with a bunch of growls and ridiculous theatrics. What do you call The Sweet Release’s music? Feel free to make up a name.

Austin Sheridan: It’s junk.

RD: So you’ll call it junk rock?

AS: Just junk, but that could be a cool way to put it. RD: Well there’s punk rock and you guys got junk rock, that’s pretty crazy. Now you guys have this single coming out called “Whether Or Not,” and it’s getting premiered March 1. Who recorded it? Who produced it? Where can people listen to it?

Jimmy James: It was recorded by Jim Schultz at Turbulent Studios, who is also a rad drummer in AdapterAdapter. It also got mixed and mastered by Jim; it’s coming out beautifully and we’re all really excited about it. We’ve been playing “Whether Or Not” a lot live during our shows along with a lot of other new material. You can find it on our BandCamp and on our website at TheSweetReleaseHQ.com when it’s released this Sunday.

RD: Despite being from North Attleboro, it’s pretty safe to say that The Sweet Release is a Providence band now. There are a lot of kickass bands coming out of the Attleboro area. We have you guys, Neutrinos, Pals, Jetty, Lame Genie and AdapterAdapter really leading the charge when it comes to southern Massachusetts bands making a home for themselves in Providence. Before you started playing in Providence, what did you think about coming to the city to play a show? Was Providence always a place that you guys envisioned The Sweet Release starting out in?

JJ: Playing Providence was our next step because we were only playing open mics in North Attleboro, which really wasn’t the end result for us but only a place to start out at because that’s what was available.

RD: Do you guys like being grouped with other bands that are from the same area?

AS: Dude, it’s awesome.

Mike Marchand: A lot of these guys are our friends, so it’s nice to be able to play shows with them.

JJ: We all have a lot of mutual friends along with meeting a lot of new friends who are also mutual friends of mutual friends, which just makes everything awesome.

AS: I grew up with Lewis Davis and Pat Keister from Pals since we were little kids and playing football, so playing shows with them now in Providence is pretty cool.

RD: When I came here most of the acts in Providence were either from here or some other part of Rhode Island while there were only a couple bands coming from Southern Massachusetts. Now it’s amazing to see how many talented bands are coming from the Attleboro area when before you would have seen these bands play at Fusion 5 in Foxboro. Providence people know a bunch of bands from Boston, but it seems when a band from Attleboro comes to town they have a bigger following.

Now I can ask everyone in the band this question because you all seem very angry when you get on stage. What fuels it? Austin can drop 25 F-bombs in one song and he’ll be pissed off at the world. What are you all so angry about? It just seems that you all want to punch the world in the face.

JJ: But in the meantime, it’s all in good fun.

AS: I think it’s just like all of us have been pent up for so long, we’ve all been in one way or another put down in some way throughout our whole lives. We don’t like authority from our parents ever since we were young, and we don’t like authority from anyone else on the planet. RD: So you’re all a bunch of misfit kids who love rock ‘n’ roll.

AS: Yea, that’s pretty Hollywood, but it’s pretty true. We honestly all are our own people. We don’t even look like we belong together.

RD: You’re the only one who’s wearing a hat right now.

AS: We’re just a bunch of different people who are different from each other and different from everybody else, but we have a mutual understanding of love and passion for one another.

RD: What music have you kids been listening to lately?

AS: Oh god, some stuff would be a little embarrassing.

RD: Anything you would think is an influence to The Sweet Release’s sound. Let’s go around between you three, and each of you name a few bands.

MM: Probably for me, anything from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath. Tony Iommi, a lot of riffs are inspired by him. I’m a huge Jack White fan and the blend of blues rock that he brings is definitely spot-on for today’s style.

AS: My heart and soul in a sense, especially on stage, is for Mick Jagger, Prince and John Lennon. Those are the three people who I need everything from, everything they have from their head and put it into my head and absorb it all.

RD: How about you, Jimmy?

JJ: I’m all over the place. For recent influences it’s Jack White’s Lazaretto, all the melodies to that and all the guitar parts I just want to play on bass. It’s like what Jaco Pastorius said, if you want to learn songs, if you want to learn music, you learn every part to the song and playing every part to Jack White’s stuff is amazing. It made me such a better player and honestly, playing with these guys has as well. Our influence just comes from ourselves, really. The more we play together it just builds and builds. I guess it does come from background influences too, but I play off of what everybody likes so I’m all over the place when it comes to playing in The Sweet Release.

RD: I got one last question, and it’s very simple. What can we expect from The Sweet Release after the single invades our eardrums?

JJ: Well, for shows we can’t really announce anything yet.

RD: What do you want to do this summer as a band?

JJ: Definitely get on a few festivals.

AS: Opening for a national act would be cool.

JJ: Other than that, it would be playing more kickass shows and playing in other cities. We’ve played three years straight in Providence and we’ve made a name for ourselves so far, but we want to play more shows outside the city and also make a full-length album. Album Of The Week: Screaming Females’ Rose Mountain

Rising from the basements of New Brunswick, NJ, to become one of the best punk rock acts in the independent music realm, Screaming Females have a knack for ripping it up with stunning guitar skills from frontwoman Marissa Paternoster, and captivating rhythms from bassist “King” Mike Abbate and drummer Jarrett Dougherty. Blowing away eardrums everywhere with their sixth studio album, Rose Mountain, this power trio keeps it real with their trademark edge, but there’s also a pop aesthetic on each track. Dare I say it, this new release is ideal for your next rock ‘n’ roll dance party.

With an incredibly raw sound, Rose Mountain will electrify you when you press play. Never afraid of being loud and in your face, Paternoster’s riffs are the first things that’ll reach out to you on track after track. With lovely distortions and a voice that echoes the essence of Patti Smith, if Paternoster’s singing doesn’t make your eyes jump out of your head and send chills through your body, then I suggest you seek therapy.

With all the craziness and pandemonium that came with it, aren’t you glad the month of February is almost over? Get celebratory with the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week.

A headbangin’ masterpiece, “Ripe” will turn you into a human tornado at first listen. Badass guitar tones from Paternoster really make this track a rhythmic scorcher. Thunderous in so many ways, “Broken Neck” showcases the sheer power of Screaming Females. Another one of those riffmasters, “Triumph” is a killer rock ‘n’ roll anthem that has amazing bass lines from Abbate.

If you’re in the New England area, you have three chances to check out the awesomeness that is Screaming Females in a live setting over the next few months. They’ll be at Great Scott in Allston, Mass., on Feb 26, The Columbus Theatre in PVD on April 5 and the following night they’ll be at The Firehouse in Worcester, Mass. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this trio from New Jersey a few times, and I guarantee that it’s a must for you to see Screaming Females when they come through your friendly neighborhood music venue. While you’re at it, grab a copy of Rose Mountain. It’s a rocker for sure, and your rock ‘n’ roll ails have now found a cure.

FirstWorks Brings Philip Glass to PVD

On Wed, Feb 25, Providence marks an edition of the FirstWorks Artistic Icons Series taking place all over the city featuring world-renowned composer Philip Glass. FirstWorks has risen to be an important organization in the arts community of The Creative Capital, showcasing the beauty of Providence’s artistic innovation through events like this one. I had the chance to chat with FirstWorks’ Executive Artistic Director Kathleen Pletcher about the organization’s mission, what we can expect from the festivities, the future of the Artistic Icons Series and other things that 2015 has in store for FirstWorks.

Rob Duguay: For people who aren’t familiar with FirstWorks, what is the mission of the organization, and what do you do for Providence and Rhode Island as a whole?

Kathleen Pletcher: FirstWorks connects arts with our community. Our mission is to use world-class arts to enhance our community— culturally, economically and educationally. FirstWorks brings artists to Providence and Rhode Island for the first time, provides students — over 4,300 last year! — with first experiences in the arts and fosters arts creation. We began in 2004 as a turn-around of First Night Providence, and since that time have produced 23 groundbreaking arts festivals and 30 premiere performances.

RD: As part of the FirstWorks 2015 Artistic Icons Series, Philip Glass will be in Providence featuring an Arts Learning Residency with local high school and university students and a Creative Conversation at the RISD Auditorium followed by a performance at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Who came up with the idea to make this a uniquely interactive experience?

KP: That’s what we do! Our model is to engage Rhode Islanders with some of the most significant creative forces of our time. The FirstWorks Artistic Icon Series connects deeply into the community with the public performance at the center, something we’ve done with artists since we started. In March, our series concludes with Spain’s most authentic and successful touring company, Noche Flamenca with the sensational Soledad Barrio. They are also working with students in our Arts Learning program. I’m executive artistic director and founder and work with the FirstWorks team to create what we hope are transformational experiences.

RD: Do you plan on having a similar set-up for future installments of the Artistic Icons Series?

KP: We’re putting the finishing touches on next year as we speak!

RD: Along with what’s happening on Wednesday, FirstWorks is also one of many organizations teaming up with Mayor Jorge Elorza to put on a community-wide Providence arts festival that’s happening in June. What will be FirstWorks’ role in handling the festival?

KP: We are the primary cultural partner with the city on the first installment of what will become Providence’s signature cultural showcase. The Mayor announced The Providence International Arts Festival, produced by FirstWorks and the City of Providence, June 11 -14. It’s going to be a jaw- dropping celebration in the Creative Capital. We’re excited to be working with many local partners to bring the city center to life with firsts in arts, culture, music, food and spectacle. An extravaganza of performances, art installations and a procession converging on Kennedy Plaza are highlights.

RD: Who can we expect to be the focus point in future editions of the Artistic Icons Series?

KP: We’ve got more coming this season! The Artistic Icons Series ends with a sizzle of live music and dance with the artistry of Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca in March at The Vets. Seeing Soledad is like watching a flame! The March 27 performance will be jump-started with tapas, performances and a talk on Spanish culture in the lobby. In April, we are presenting the world-premiere of Providence’s LostWax Multimedia Dance’s Zoologic. Lostwax and the incredible techno arts wizardry of choreographer/director Jamie Jewett, composer Luke DuBois and author Thalia Field and their team takes on living life under surveillance.

Read Motif’s interview with Tim Fain, performing with Philip Glass, here: motifri.com/glasschamber

Philip Glass’ performance will start at The Vets on Wed, Feb 25 at 7:30pm, and you can find the rest of the details of today’s installment of the Artistic Icons Series at first-works.org.

Album Of The Week: The Battery Electric’s The Heart and The Thrill

Imagine a sound that combines the intensity and fury of Danzig-era Misfits with that classic cool of acts like Led Zeppelin and ’70s Aerosmith and you have an infectious band from Asbury Park, NJ, called The Battery Electric. Loud, energetic and always down to have a good time, this fearsome foursome have their third full length, The Heart and The Thrill, coming out and it’s quite a rock ‘n’ roll treasure to behold. With a groove that’ll make you move and riffs that’ll make you bang your head, The Battery Electric’s new release absolutely shows impeccable quality from track to track.

A mix of motown soul and no holds barred rock really makes The Battery Electric’s sound absolutely timeless. Shitty jobs, manipulative women and drowning it all with a bottle are abundant in the lyrics and rhythmic feel. The genuity of The Battery Electric’s new release really shows a band that takes pride in telling it like it is with their music.

It’s still cold, and it will be for a while. Warm up while snuggling up to the top tracks off of my Album Of The Week. Let your speakers light the fire.

“Heathen,” the first track, gets things off to a raucous start with driving riffs and thunderous drums. For anyone who hates their job, “Get Me Outta Here” is your anthem — it’s an absolute headbanger to say the least. The party anthem of the year, “Key Party,” tells you why you should have a good time and why you shouldn’t stop.

The Battery Electric will celebrate the release of The Heart and The Thrill on Feb 21 at Asbury Lanes with Deal Casino, Black Wall, The Von Mons & Frankenstein 3000, and they’ll also hit the Providence area at the beginning of summer, so keep your eyes peeled. When they blow the roof off your friendly neighborhood music venue, make sure you grab a copy of The Heart and The Thrill from The Battery Electric. It’ll bring shocks up your spine that are more than genuine.

The Battery Electric’s Facebook: facebook.com/TheBatteryElectric